East Hills Dental Associates Blog

Consequences of a Single Tooth Loss

If you think of your teeth as though they were a string of pearls, you could appreciate the tremendous impact of losing even a single pearl. Not only would the appearance of the entire strand be damaged, but the loss would have a domino effect on the remaining pearls. There would be sliding and shifting, and soon the necklace would begin to look prematurely old and worn out.

Such is the case when you lose even one of your natural teeth. The value of a single tooth increases tremendously when that tooth is missing. Of course, in a perfect world, you would choose to save all of your teeth and never break your strand of “pearls”. In reality, tooth loss happens every day. Were it not for revolutionary replacement teeth such as dental implants, we would be left to suffer some very unpleasant consequences.

It’s possible that the most immediate consequence of losing a single tooth is the damage to your self-confidence. If the missing tooth is visible when you speak or smile, your natural inclination may be to conceal your smile. It is common to experience feelings of insecurity or hopelessness regarding the situation, but your implant dentist can help.

Immediately after losing a tooth, you’ll be forced to alter your eating and chewing habits. If you tend to rely heavily on one side of the mouth for chewing, both the jaw joint and the overworked teeth will show rapid signs of deterioration. TMJ disorder, tooth sensitivity, and excessive wear patterns are the unfortunate results of one-sided chewing.

Without the regular stimulating relationship between the jaw bone and the tooth root, substantial bone loss will occur. Where a tooth is missing, this bone loss can advance to the point that it begins to affect the neighboring teeth as well as the shape of the lips, cheeks, and the face.

You may have heard stories of how the teeth have shifted and become crowded due to a missing tooth. It is true that the remaining teeth will tend to shift into the space left vacant by tooth loss. As the bite collapses, new issues such as tooth decay and gum disease will begin to arise.

To find out if dental implants are the best solution for your tooth loss, contact the office of Dr. Richard Sousa, serving Long Island and the surrounding areas, today to schedule a consultation.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 7th, 2012 at 6:26 pm by East Hills Dental Associates.
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